Engine-starter.



J. O. ROBERTS.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1910. 1,030,430.. Patented June 25, 1912.

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ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. e, 1910.

1,030,430, Patented June 25,1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co.,w sn|Nu'roN, D. c.

J. 0. ROBERTS.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1910. 1,030,430. Patented June 25, 1912.

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cially the rear main spring ENGINE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 25, 1912.

Application filed September 6, 1910. Serial No. 580,682.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J UDsoN O. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cripple Creek, in the county of Teller and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine- Starters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in engine starting devices, and more particularly to that class of devices which are adapted to starting gas or explosion engines and the like, as, for instance, in the case of automobiles using engines of this class.

The principal object of my invention is to provide means for starting engines of the class described automatically at the will of the operator.

Another object is to provide for storing suflicient energy derived from the engine when running to give the crank shaft the few preliminary revolutions necessary to again start it after having come to rest.

. Still another object is to provide means for liberating stored energy and applying it to the engine suflicient to start it from a condition of rest to a condition of self operation.

A still further object of my invention is to provide means to enable the engine op erator to control all starting apparatus from a single point, this being the drivers seat in the case of motor vehicles.

These and other useful objects are at tained, as will be made to appear more fully in this specification and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment, in which v Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine and starting apparatus, the engine being shown centrally, the starting mechanism on the right, and the drivers-controlling de vice on the left. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the starting mechanism shown at the right of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical axial section of the starting mechanism shown in Fig. 2, the full lines showing it with the shaft clutch elements in their disengaged position, as in Fig. 1, while the dotted lines show the starter shaft and front clutch element thrust backward into the engaging position. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view along the line 4; of Fig. 2, showing espewheel, frame element and controlling lever. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view along the line 5 of Fig. 2, showing the rear main spring wheel and the means for guiding it attached to the longitudinal frame elements. Fig. 6 shows the ratchet which engages the periphery of the rear main spring wheel and the means for controlling said ratchet. Fig. 7 shows a preferred form of means for holding the controller rod.

In all the views like reference numerals refer to like parts.

The general assembly of the starter, engine, and miscellaneous parts is shown in Fig. 1. Here is shown the engine crank, housing frame 1-1', held together by bolts 73, and through which passes the engine crank 33. Above and upon this crank shafthousing are mounted the engine cylinders 2, where they are secured by the bolts 2'.

At the right of the cylinders are shown the speed governor 12, and magneto generator 13. This generator furnishes power for producing the necessary ignition sparks to fire the explosive gaseous mixture in the cylinders when the engine is in operation. ()n this shaft, outside and close to the ends of said crank housing frame, are mounted a fly wheel 4 and the pulley 8, the former on the rear end 3 and the latter on the front end 3. Pulley 8 is comparatively large in diameter and connects, "by means of a belt 9, with a smaller pulley 7 which is driven thereby. Pu1ley.7 is mounted on a shaft 6, on which is also, mounted a regular cooler ventilating fan, not shown in the drawings.

Beyond the pulley 8, and on the tip'of crank shaft end power element 5 of a shaft coupling clutch 5-5. The coacting part 5, which is the spring power element, is mounted on the rear end 10 of the starter shaft 10-l0. On the extreme forward end 10 of this shaft, as shown in Fig. 2, is mounted the auxiliary clutch element 11, adapted to engage with a similar element 55 mounted on a detachable hand-starting crank 53, such as is ordinarily used for starting engines of the class described. In order to insure prompt engagement of the coupling elements 5 and 5 for any relative angular position of the two elements, their shoulders are preferably rounded at the tip, so as to avoid square meeting corners, such as might interfere with ready engagement of opposing shoulders. There is also attached to 3, is mounted the engine clutch elements 55 ment 24, having notches 1 is normally held in means of pintle lever 21 is a depending rod 27, engagmg 20 with a reciprocable plunger 22, the lower to engage with the plate 80 on the dash- ,mechanism,

sisting chiefly of shaft 10-10 a clutch operating bar 1415, 1 adapted at an intermediate point 14 thereon to move the shaft 1010 toward or from the shaft 3 3, so as to throw the into engagement, or vice versa. To the upperend 14 of the lever is hinged the connecting rod 19, by means of head 19 and pintle 33. The other end of this rod 19 is hinged to the operators lever 18 by means of pintle'20 through the head 19", as shown in Fig. 1, but a preferred device is shown in Fig. 7. The lower end of lever 18 is pivoted to the locking ele- 26 arranged radiin an arc on its upper edge; On the upper end of this lever is mounted a locking lever handle 21, hinged on a pintle 28 on handle 18. Attached to the lower tip of end of which is adapted to engage with the notches 26 in the element 24. This plunger engagement with said notches 26 by means of the spiral spring 23. The simplified and preferred form of holding device for the controller rod 19 is shown in Fig. 7, in which the r earwardly extending end of rod 19 is shown wit means for direct locking engagement with the dash-board 77. A handle 78 is provided on the rear end of rod 19, and a ratchet catch 79 is provided on 19 adapted board when the rod is drawn back through the perforation 81.

The lower end 15 of the clutch lever 14%15 is hinged to a rigid element 16 by 17 as shown most clearly in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. This element 16 is adjustably supported on a frame element 34, hereinafter described.

The whole forward part of the starter including the shaft 10-10, lever rod 14-15, coil 29, etc., is supported on a' rectangular-shaped framework, confour horizontal members 34,35, 36 and 37, parallel to the starter shaft 10-10, and a pair of transverse elements,'38 in front of and 39 behind the main spring 29. The rear element 39 is composed of several parts, as shown in Fig.

4, the chief of which are two horizontal bars 40 and 41, two vertical bars 42 and 43, and four diagonal bars, 44, 45, 46 and 47, converging from the corners formed by the first of said bars to a hub 48 at the center surrounding the shaft 10, as also shown in Fig. 4. The forward element 38, though not shown as fully as the corresponding rear element, is in general essentially similar to 39, shown in Fig. 4, and has a hub 52, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the part 39 has the horizontal and vertical elements, corresponding to 40, 41, 42 and 43,

tably mounted on and supported by the shaft 10 and 10 and frame elements 34, 35, 36 and 37, being held in place by guide elements 58 attached to said frame elements, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. i

The coil spring 29 is concentric with the shaft 10-10 and is loosely centered thereabout, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings. This spring 29 is secured at the extremity 29 to the ratchet wheel 56 and at its other extremity 29 to the ratchet wheel 57, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The rear ratchet wheel 57 is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. It consists of a hub 48, a plurality of spokes, 59 radiating therefrom, and an angle-shaped felly or rim having a plain radial web 60 and a peculiar cylindrical web 61 integral with the radial web at its inner edge and extending to one side thereof, said web 61 having notches 62 in its laterally extended edge adapted to engage a pawl 49. The forward ratchet wheel 56 is preferably similar to the rear wheel 57. In order that the wheels may be adapted to coact with their respective ratchets in opposite directions of relative rotation on the shaft 10-10', due to the coiled spring 29, they are mounted back to back, with their notched flanges extending divergently from each other and with their ratchet hubs 65 and 66 turned toward each other. The preferred winding of the spring is a righthanded spiral, as shown in Fig. 2, though this form is not essential.

The pawl 49, coacting with wheel 57, is pivoted on the outwardly extended portion 40 of element 40, so as normally to oppose clockwise rotation. This pawl 49 has a'rod 32 engaging with it. The backwardly extending portion of this rod bears a hooked end 32 adapted to engage with the lever arm 14 when the latter is drawn backward, as in starting. This draws the pawl out of engagement with the wheel 57 and releases it.

Pawl 71 is mounted on the element 38 in a position adapted to permanently engage wheel 56, so as to oppose counter-clockwise rotation. Pawl is set to normally op ose relative counter-clockwise rotation of the shaft 10-10 with respect to the hub 66. The dog 6969 is made especially to prevent relative counter-clockwise motion of the hub 65. In all cases the direction of rotation is taken with respect to a front view In order that the direction of rotation of the starter parts, including the shaft 1010, may always 'be clockwise as viewed from in front, the mechanism is so arranged that in winding the spring the rear wheel will be held stationary, while the front wheel turns clockwise. Then in starting the engine the front wheel is held stationary, while the rear wheel is released and caused by the spring to turn clockwise also. This gives the engine shaft its normal clockwise rotation. This arrangement facilitates mounting the main wheel pawls 71 and 49 on the cross frame elements in co active relation with the wheels, and the hub pawls 69 and 70 on a common mounting block 74 secured to the shaft 10l0 between the hubs.

Member 70 has strictly a ratchet action with respect to the hub 66, engaging with it for one direction of relative rotation, but not for the other. Member 6969 on the other hand-though referred to as such-. is not strictly a pawl, but is more like a dog, as its engagement is determined by separate forces acting on the lever arm 68, irrespective of rotatio The pawl 70 is preferably a plunger fitted into a socket in the mounting block 7 1 of the pawl element 31, a spring 75 being provided to force it outward to a certain extent limited by mutually engaging shoulders.

In all the views of the starter it is shown in its normal ruirdown state. WVith this condition to start with, either one of two different methods may be adopted for starting the engine, namely, (1) crank the engine direct, regardless of the starter, and (2) wind up the starter spring and then start the engine by releasing the spring and letting it spend its energy by rotating the crank shaft. After the engine has once been started, it is designed to have the engine rewind the spring automatically ready for the next start. Means for cranking and winding by hand are provided for cases of oversight and emergency.

In order to start by direct cranking, the starting rod 19 is drawn fully back so as to bring the coupling elements 5 and 5 into operative engagement. This will bring the pawl element 70 into contact with the rear hub element 66, but rotation of the pawl will be in the non-engaging direction. Pawl 49 will be disengaged, but this will have no effect as the spring is run down at this time. Under these conditions the shafts 33 and 1010 are locked together and free to turn irrespectively of the rest of the starter mechanism. Then when the engine is started and running, the driver should release the rod 19 so that it may move forward. The spring 30 will then that pawl 49 will engage force the shaft 1010 partly forward so wheel 57 and also cause pawl 69 to engage with the notches on hub 65, the spring 29 being expanded and the lever .arm 68 raised. The hub 65 is somewhat elongated so that as long as the pawl 69 is engaged the shaft 1010 cannot slide fully forward. Hence as the engine continues to run it drives the shaft 10-10 in a clockwise'direction so as to wind the spring 29. lVheel 57 is held by pawl 49 while wheel 56 turns with the shaft. This will continue until the spring 29 is fully wound, when it will become contracted in diameter and release the pawl 69. Then the ratchet 71 will hold against unwinding. NVhen pawl 69' releases it is free to slide over the hub 65 and then the spring 30 will force shaft 1010 fully forward so as to uncouple the shafts and leave the starter mechanism set ready for the next start, when no hand cranking will be necessary.

In order to start the engine by means of the starter, starting rod 19 is drawn fully back where it will be held by the catch 79 till released by the driver. This drawing back of rod 19 will first connect elements 5 and 5, then cause the pawl 7 O to engage the rear huh, and also cause pawl 49 to release. Then when the spring is run down and the engine started, the pawl 70 will permit the rearhub to stop and let the shaft revolve. Pawl 71 will also let the wheel 56 turn with the shaft if it tends to do so strongly enough to operate the release action controlled by the spring 72. Ordinarily the wheels 56 and 57 will both become stationary. If the engine were now allowed to stop, before rewinding the spring 29, the hand work would have to be done over again. In order to avoid this, as soon as the engine is fairly well started, the shaft 1010 should be released by the driver so that it may move forward under the influence of spring 30 acting on shaft 1010. This action will serve to reengage pawl 49, entirely disengage pawl 70, and reengage pawl 69, but still leave coupling 5-:5 partly engaged. This will cause the engine to rewind the spring by revolving the front wheel 56 clockwise while the rear wheel 57 is held in stationary. hen the spring 29 becomes tightly coiled it releases the pawl 69 which is then free to slide forward over hub 65. As soon as 69 disengages from the notches and rises above the hub 65, the spring 80 will thrust shaft- 10-10 forward to the full limit. This will disengage the coupling 5-5 and let the rod 19 go fully forward. Pawl 69 will be brought adjacent to the radial element of wheel 56. The starter is now set ready for the next start. The guide tip 76 will preferably engage with wheel 56. This will permit hand winding.

In normal starting by the use of the spring 29, the preferred order of operation of different parts is as follows: First, elements 5 and 5 engage; second, 67 and engage; third, 49 and 62 disengage. In rewinding by the engine the parts operate as follows: First, 5 and 5 are already engaged; second 49 and 62 rengage; third 66 and 70 separate; fourth, 67 and 69 engage; then when the spring is fully wound up 67 and69 disengage; and, finally, the spring 30 thrusts shaft 10-10 forward, releasing clutch 5-5 and carrying ratchet arm 69 up close to the radial part of wheel 56 adjacent to the hub. Although Fig. 1 shows the engine housing removed it is understood that said housing is so made as to cover the starter as well as the engine when in place.

I am aware that spring motors and starting devices using springs have already been invented, and therefore do not claim my invention broadly but limit my claims to certain peculiar features that I believe to be novel and useful.

\Vhile I have herein shown and particu larly described some embodiments of my invention, I do notwish to limit myself to the precise constructions herein shown and described, as many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. In an automatic starter for gas engines and the like, a supporting member, a starter shaft, a pair of rotatable members centered on said shaft, a resilient member supported between said rotatable members and loosely centered on said shaft, a plurality of guide members attached to said frame adapted to retain said rotatable members in fixed longitudinal axial position with respect to said frame, a plurality of rotation-controlling members, part of which are controlled by longitudinal movement of said shaft, and means for engaging said starter shaft with an engine shaft.

2. In a starting devise for explosion engines, a starter shaft capable of engagement with a crank shaft, a metallic spring centered about said starter shaft, a pair of rotatable ratchet wheels adapted to support said spring, a stationary pawl coacting with each wheel, a rotatable pawl coacting with one wheel, a rotatable dog coacting with the other wheel, and means for engaging said starter shaft with an engine shaft.

3. In a starting device for explosion engines, a reciprocating starter shaft, a coupling adapted to engage said shaft with the engine shaft, a spring element adapted to store energy, a pair of wheels adapted to support said spring, a plurality of guide elements for each wheel, a permanently coacting stationary pawl and a shaft-mounted dog adapted to be released by said spring when highly wound for controlling one wheel, a pair of pawls, one stationary and the other shaft-mounted, for controlling the other wheel, and means for engaging said starter shaft with an engine shaft.

4. In a starting device for explosion engines a reciprocable starter shaft, a coupling adapted to engage said shaft with the engine shaft, a spring element adapted to store energy, a pair of wheels adapted to support said spring, a plurality of guide elements for each wheel, a plurality of pawls, a dog adapted to control rotation of said wheels, an auxiliary spring adapted to keep the said coupling normally open, and a lever arm for controlling one of said ratchets, said lever arm being adapted to control the engagement of said starter shaft with the engine shaft.

In a device of the class described, a framework, a reciprocable starter shaft journaled in said fmtmework, a pair of wheels having ratchet webs in their outer periphery, said wheels having hubs rotatably mounted on said shaft, pawls carried by and pivoted to said framework permitting each of said wheels to rotate in one direction, a spring element carried between said wheels, a block mounted on and secured to said shaft between said wheels, a spring detent carried in one end of said block and adapted to coact with notches in one of said hubs, a pivoted dog member carried by said block and having one end adapted to engage the notches in the other of said hubs and thereby key the corresponding ratchet wheel to said reciprocable shaft, said dog having an upwardly and rearwardly extending arm, said arm being adapted to be depressed by the contraction of said spring element, whereby the last named hub and detachable wheel may be released from engagement with said reciprocable shaft when said spring element is fully compressed; and means for engaging said an engine shaft.

6. In a device of the class described, a framework comprising a plurality of fixed spaced rods and transverse webs, a reciprocable shaft journaled in said webs, a pair of wheels having hubs mounted rotatably on said shaft adjacent said webs, said wheels being provided with ratchet webs on their outer periphery, pawls carried by and pivot ed to said framework, said pawls being adapted to permit each of said wheels to retate in one direction, the rotation of one wheel being relatively opposite to that of the other, a spring element carried by and between said wheels and around said shaft, a block mounted on and secured to said shaft between said wheels, a spring detent carried in one end of said block and adapted to coact with notches in one of said hubs when it is desired to automatically start an engine, a' pivoted dog member carried by starter shaft with said block and having one end adapted to engage notches in the other of said hubs during the-compressing of said spring and thereby key the to said reciprocable shaft, said dog having an upwardly and rearwardly extending arm, said arm being adapted to be compressed by the contraction of said spring, whereby the last named hub and ratchet wheel will be released from its engagement with said reciprocable shaft when said spring is fully compressed, and means for engaging said starter shaft with an engine shaft.

7. In a device of the class described, a framework comprising a plurality of fixed spaced rods and transverse webs, a reciprocable starter shaft journaled in said webs, a pair of wheels having hubs mounted rotatably on said shaft adjacent said webs, said wheels being provided with ratchet webs on their outer peripher pawls carried by and pivoted to said frai'nework, said pawls being adapted to permit each of said wheels to r0- tate in one direction, the rotation of one wheel being relatively opposite to that of the other, a spring element carried by and between said wheels and around said shaft, a block mounted on and secured to said shaft between said wheels, a spring detent carried in one end of said block and adapted to coact with notches in one of said hubs when it is desired to automatically start an engine, a pivoted dog member carried by said block and having one end adapted to engage notches in the other of said hubs during the compressing of said spring and thereby key the coresponding ratchet wheel to said reciprocable shaft, said dog having an upwardly and rearwardly extending arm, said arm being adapted to be compressed by the contraction of said spring, whereby the last named hub and ratchet wheel will be released from its engagement with said reciprocable shaft when said spring is fully compressed, and means operated from any desired point to reciprocate said reciprocable shaft to couple the same with the shaft of a vehicle engine and simultaneously start the same.

8. In a device ofthe class described, a

coresponding ratchet wheel framework comprising a plurality of fixed spaced rods and transverse webs, a reciprocable shaft journaled in said webs, a pair of wheels having hubs mounted rotatably on said shaft adjacent said webs, said wheels being provided with ratchet webs on their outer periphery, pawls carried by and pivoted to said framework, said pawls being adapted to permit each of said wheels to rot-ate in one direction, the rotation of one wheel being relatively opposite to that of the other, a spring element carried by and between said wheels and around said shaft, a block mounted on and secured to said shaft between said wheels, a spring detent carried in one end of said block and adapted to coact with notches in one of said hubs when it is desired to automatically start an engine, a pivoted dog member carried by said block and having' one end adapted to engage notches in the other of said hubs during the compressing of said spring and thereby key the corresponding ratchet wheel to said reciprocable shaft, said dog having an upwardly and rearwardly extending arm, said arm being adapted to be compressed by the contraction of said spring, whereby the last named hub and ratchet wheel will be released from its engagement with said reciprocable shaft when said spring is fully compressed, clutch members carried at each end of said reciprocable shaft, one of said clutch members being adapted to engage a corresponding clutch in the end of a vehicle shaft, the other of said clutch members being adapted to be engaged by a clutch on a starting handle, a spring between said last named clutch and the adjacent web of said framework andaround said shaft, whereby said reciprocable shaft will be normally retracted from engagement with the shaft of a vehicle engine, and means for engaging said starter shaft with an engine shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

J UDSON O. ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

F, E. SIMONTON, JENNIE WVANEMAKER.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

